Words and Photographs by Daniel Vaughan. The annual The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering event has fostered a unique, exclusive, and enviable position within the frenetic 'ten day' Classic Car pilgrimage to the Monterey Penninsula, pairing fashion and exceptional cuisine with rare collections of fine automobiles and motorcycles in a garden-party setting. It celebrates the ultimate in automotive design and engineering and promotes camaraderie among fellow aficionados. This year's event witnessed over two-hundred classics, supercars, hypercars, and exotic automobiles, complemented by nearly twenty new automotive debuts.
This year's event celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the BMW M Division, All things MINI, and 70 years of Jaguar and their wins at Le Mans. Traditional classes included Pre-War Sports and Racing, Post-War Sports, The Great Ferraris, and Custom Coachwork. Additionally, The Quail played host to nineteen model premieres for many of the most distinguished automakers within the industry.
Cuisine
Five gourmet pavilions housed the delicious feast prepared by the culinary team centered around the theme, 'the bridge.' Much like automobiles, bridges represent human ingenuity, design, and engineering and help connect people and ideas. Celebrating the opening of the new Peninsula Hotels in London and Istanbul, the theme highlighted famous bridges from these cities as inspiration, along with Bangkok, Big Sur in California, and New York.
Automobile Premieres
Acura revealed its all-new, electrified Acura ARX-06 prototype sports car developed and manufactured by Honda Performance Development, the racing arm for Acura Motorsports in North America. The sixth-generation Acura prototype will compete in 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTP Championship, starting with the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Also on display was the Acura Precision EV Concept, which also made its global debut during Monterey Car Week. The Precision EV Concept previews Acura's future design language as it prepares to enter the electrified era starting in 2024 with a dynamically styled all-electric SUV, the Acura ZDX and ZDX Type S.
Audi displayed three sphere concept cars - the skysphere, grandsphere, and urbansphere. These represent the company's vision of the future of premium electric mobility.
Czinger Vehicles introduced two pathbreaking never-before-seen additions to their venerable line-up, the 21C V Max and Hyper GT. The 21C V Max is the 2nd body style of Czinger's first production car, the 21C, the world's first Human-AI designed and 3D printed hypercar. The Hyper GT redefines the coupe experience, allowing four adults to travel in luxury at speed, without sacrifice to performance. Developed utilizing Czinger's proprietary Human-AI design, automated assembly and sustainable manufacturing systems, the chassis structure of the Hyper GT is optimized for ultimate GT power to weight and employs an in-house designed, strong hybrid drivetrain.
'This is an exciting journey for us as we shatter the boundaries of design and performance. The V Max is a new chapter in the 21C story, delivering high top speeds, unrivaled road and track performance and timeless elegance. This is a historic moment in time and one that will fundamentally change automotive manufacturing for generations to come. The future isn't 10, 20 or 30 years away. The future is now,' said Kevin Czinger.
Hispano Suiza showcased its Carmen Boulogne, a fully electric and exclusive hypercar designed, developed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain)
Maserati introduced the MC20 Cielo, a 621 hp convertible Open-Topped version of the new MC20 super sports car. Unique to the convertible segment, the Cielo features an innovative retractable glass roof with a state-of-the-art electrochromic (smart glass) window that can instantly be transformed from clear to opaque at the touch of a button on a central screen. The soul of the MC20 is the revolutionary new Nettuno engine, a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 delivering 630 horsepower (621 U.S. hp) at 7,500 rpm and producing 538 lb-ft of torque from 3,000 rpm. It also marks Maserati's return to producing its own engines and, notably, is the first engine destined for the road to use an innovative pre-chamber combustion system featuring twin spark plugs, a technology derived from Formula 1 racing.
The Bentley display was a celebration of the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans highlighted by the 2003-race-winning #7 Speed 8, earning the company its sixth overall victory at the race, meaning Bentley is still the fifth most successful manufacturer at the world's most demanding endurance race.
Singer presented the North American debut of Turbo Study at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering 2022. Presented in Wolf Blue, with a specification focused on high-speed, luxury grand touring, it was the first road-going, turbocharged Porsche 911 reimagined by Singer. Singer's Founder and Executive Chairman, Rob Dickinson noted, 'The first Porsche 911 reimagined by Singer was presented during Monterey Car Week in 2009, so it's fitting that we're returning to The Quail this year to present our latest idea - in celebration of the iconic Porsche 930 Turbo. Singer is a philosophy and every car we restore encapsulates our unique perspectives, the personal vision of the owner, and a celebration of heritage - reimagined with twenty-first-century engineering.'
Gordon Murray Automotive showcased the company's halo supercar – the T.50 – alongside the all-new T.33 coupe supercar. The T.50 promises to deliver an unsurpassed driving experience, courtesy of its 100% bespoke 3.9-litre, 663PS V12 engine that revs to a record-breaking 12,100rpm, and features the most advanced and effective aerodynamics ever seen on a road car – aided by a 400mm rear-mounted fan.
The all-new T.33, the brand's second all-new supercar, is powered by a specially reconfigured version of the world-beating GMA-Cosworth V12 engine. Built on a newly developed carbon and aluminum super-lightweight architecture, it was conceived, designed, and engineered without compromise to offer the ultimate blend of performance, comfort, on-road driving experience and everyday usability.
The topics of electrification, performance and the Next Chapter of Lexus were discussed via an informative chat between Vinay Shahani, VP of Lexus Marketing, and Townsend Bell, Lexus Brand Ambassador. During the course of their 10-minute conversation, they touched upon the first-ever 2023 RX 500h F SPORT Performance, Lexus Racing, and Townsend's years-long relationship with the brand, including the IS 500 he modified with Hiraku Co. for the 2021 SEMA Show.
Photo courtesy of Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showcased the Phantom Series II for the first time in North America at 'The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering,' unveiled by Rolls-Royce Motors Cars Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Müller-Ötvös. The unique Bespoke commission has been coined 'Maverick' by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke designers. 'Each commission represents a distinct design reflecting an aspect of what Phantom means to its ultimate owner. Many Phantom owners achieve their success through new ideas, unconventional methods, and their own relentless self-belief. The 'Maverick' Bespoke persona demonstrates how Phantom adapts to the modern age, asserting a creative, independent character.'
Jonathan Simms, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
RÚF Automobile GmbH revealed two special vehicles at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering - Project RBS, or 'Bergmeister,' made its world debut alongside the naturally aspirated SCR, which was being seen for the first time in North America. The never-before-seen Bergmeister is inspired by the legendary Porsche 906, the 909 Bergspyder and the 718 RS 60 Spyder hillclimb cars and was designed by Tony Hatter. Mounted in the rear is a dry sump, RÚF-engineered, air-cooled 3.6-liter single-turbocharged flat-six engine producing 450 bhp and 442 lb-ft of torque, connected to a six-speed manual transmission.
Cadillac displayed its Project GTP Hypercar, its third-generation prototype race car from the American luxury brand. In 2023, Cadillac will contest the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 'Cadillac will be competing again on the world racing stage, and we are all thrilled to return to Le Mans after 20 years,' said Global Cadillac Vice President Rory Harvey. 'By competing in both the 2023 IMSA and WEC championships, Cadillac Racing has the opportunity to demonstrate its capability, craftsmanship and technology.'
Also on display were the track-ready CT5-V Blackwing 120th Anniversary Edition and the 682 horsepower Escalade-V.
Swedish builder Volvo introduced its first US customer commission, the Volvo P1800 Cyan, alongside the original Cyan blue prototype, which was built as a tribute to Cyan Racing's 2017 World Touring Car Championship title and has earned legendary status since its unveiling in 2020.
Finished in a combination of two dark red shades, the US car is a true Volvo P1800 Cyan built with its own unique character, reflecting how every commission is tailored to the client's specific taste and preferences. While the original blue prototype was designed, above all, to be lightweight and provide pure driving fun, built for inspired canyon drives with quick steering and firm suspension, the red car has been tailored for a more relaxed driving experience, creating more of a grand tourer to suit longer freeway journeys typically encountered in North America.
'We're grateful that many of the automotive world's most iconic brands have chosen The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering as the location to debut their ground-breaking vehicles,' said Kai Lermen, General Manager of Quail Lodge & Golf Club. 'Their presence will play a significant part in creating a memorable patron experience.'
Celebrated Classes
The '50th Anniversary of the BMW M Division' class showcased many examples of BMW M race and street automobiles. 'All Things MINI' celebrated the heritage and evolution of the much loved 'Mini Cooper' created by famous race car builder John Cooper and featured many variants of the brand's most important vehicles.
Judging
Unique to The Quail, the Best of Show title is selected by the entrants, as they are among the most distinguished collectors in the world and dully suited for this monumental task.
Best of Show
It was a fitting tribute that a 1956 Jaguar D-Type was selected as this year's 'Best of Show' considering the event's celebration of the 70 years of Jaguar and the many display's throughout the Monterey area (and the world) honoring the Le Mans 24's 100th anniversary. During the 1950s, Jaguar won 5 of the 10 Le Mans 24 Hour races, with the D-Type earning three of those victories (1955-1957).
The Jaguar D-Type was the successor to the steel-tubed space-frame C-Type and brought aviation technology to competition car design. While it retained the successful 3.4-liter straight six from the C-Type, the improvements included three carburetors, the D-Type's shape and monocoque construction, with the body and frame combining for structural integrity. A dry sump lubrication system was employed, allowing the engine to be mounted lower for aerodynamic efficiency.
Owned by William Pope, the 1956 Jaguar D-Type, was selected for the highest honor due to its superb construction, design, attention to detail, workmanship and extensive restoration process.
The Peninsula Classics 2021 Best of the Best Award
Image courtesy of The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award
The Peninsula Hotels recently announced the 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione as the winner of its highest honor, The Peninsula Classics 2021 Best of the Best Award. The exclusive accolade selects a winner from an elite group of exceptional classic cars that have won significant awards at the previous year's most prestigious concours events. The Ferrari became eligible for consideration after winning the Best of Show trophy at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.
Also competing for the award this year was a distinguished group of finalists, including a 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Tour de France, a 1974 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale and three variants of the 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K. Other nominees were a 1926 Suiza H6B Cabriolet and a 1934 Avions Voisin Type C27 Aerosport Coupe. They all received the highest awards from the most esteemed concours events of 2021.
'With such an illustrious selection of finalists this year, the judging process was especially challenging,' said The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie. 'Our group of eight classic automobiles represents the pinnacle of automotive craftsmanship, artistry and engineering. All of them are excellent representatives of automotive history, but one rose to the top to receive our highest honor and recognition with The Peninsula Classics 2021 Best of the Best Award.'
Selecting the winner of The Peninsula Classics 2021 Best of the Best Award was an esteemed group of 25 judges representing a diverse selection of renowned automotive enthusiasts and design experts.
About The Peninsula Signature Events
The Peninsula Signature Events are organized by The Peninsula Hotels, dedicated to creating world-class bespoke events at its properties. Quail Lodge & Golf Club is home to the following Peninsula Signature Events: The Quail Ride, The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, The Quail Rally and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. peninsula.com/signatureevents.
About The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH)
Incorporated in 1866 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00045), The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited is the holding company of a Group that is engaged in the ownership, development and management of prestigious hotels and commercial and residential properties in key locations in Asia, the United States and Europe, as well as the provision of tourism and leisure, club management and other services. The Peninsula Hotels portfolio comprises The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Shanghai, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula Tokyo, The Peninsula New York, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, The Peninsula Paris, The Peninsula Bangkok and The Peninsula Manila. Projects under development include The Peninsula London and The Peninsula Istanbul. The property portfolio of the Group includes The Repulse Bay Complex, The Peak Tower and St. John's Building in Hong Kong; The Landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and 21 avenue Kléber in Paris, France. The clubs and services portfolio of the Group includes The Peak Tram in Hong Kong; Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, California; Peninsula Clubs and Consultancy Services, Peninsula Merchandising and Tai Pan Laundry in Hong Kong.